Icy Reminiscence
by xSn0wangel
Summary: When Gray wakes up one day, the snow covering Magnolia makes him think about the past. Is Natsu the only one who can break him out of his daze? Short one-shot/almost drabble


***Warning, this story contains light GrayxNatsu or boyxboy pairing, if this offends you for any reason, turn back now!***

It was about that time of year again, when the snow began to pile upon the ground and cascaded over the entire city. Everyone would start bundling up in layers of sweaters and coats to stay warm as they walked from place to place and their warm breath fogged up the air as they chatted to each other because they couldn't stay still lest they catch a cold. So I wasn't surprised when I left my apartment early in the morning and was greeted with a white wintery wonderland.

However, groggy from sleep, the view in front of me was hazy and seemed to morph before my eyes. The icy topped mountains encroached upon the city's borders and I watched as the number of buildings dwindled down to match the size of a small village. I continued to walk on the familiar main path even as the people around me became somewhat blurry and I couldn't distinguish all of their facial features as if my memory couldn't make sense of them.

It was only when I reached the center of the village that I realized that although I recognized everything around me, I wasn't in Magnolia anymore. The statue in the middle of the main plaza was a dead giveaway that this snowy, frigid place was my hometown. I winced as a large drift of ice blew down from the monument and hit my shoulder, but I shrugged it off as I continued on.

This place didn't exist this way anymore so how was I here?

Yet, I didn't care as I headed toward the one building my heart had always ached for.

There was smoke coming from the chimney and the sweet scent of pine hit me as I grew closer. My mother refused to burn any other kind of wood in our fireplace because according to her, nothing else smelled like home. Then there it was in front of me, the place of my childhood and my dreams until…

A giant foot smashed down onto the roof of my house and it flattened beneath the weight. Fire shot down from the sky and covered the buildings all around me as the snow once had. There was an ear shattering roar that made me smash my palms to my head as I looked up to see the monster from my worst nightmares.

I fell to my knees in the thick snow and tears pooled in my eyes as Deliora stepped forwards to trample me into nothing just as he had destroyed my homeland.

"Gray!"

I blinked as the shadows receded from my vision and the fire around me swirled into pink.

"Gray, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Squinty mossy green eyes were looking at me like I'd gone crazy as I looked around wildly for a moment. The snow was still blanketing the ground but my house was no longer in front of me and the demon had vanished along with the flames.

I was kneeling in front of Natsu's house and he was down on one knee to match my height. His warm hands were clasping my bare shoulders which to him probably felt like grabbing ice.

"Oi! Snap out of it already!" he shouted in frustration.

My fingers clutched his scarf as I focused on his face at last and was relieved to see that his features were sharp and well defined.

"Lucy told me you were walking around town like a zombie but when she tried to stop you, you brushed her off."

"Na-Natsu," I whispered as the tears fell freely down my cheeks.

"It's okay," he replied instantly and even though I knew he didn't understand what was going on, he wrapped his warm arms around my back and held me as I trembled.

Considering this man was seeing me when I was weak, I was grateful he wasn't shoving it in my face. He was silent as I battled the pain of repressed recollections and it took me several minutes to calm myself.

"The snow…it looks so much like my homeland…I guess I got caught up in a memory," I offered as an explanation.

"Don't worry about it," he answered as he let go of me and leaned back with a carefree smile.

"You've just gotta remember that this is your home now, okay?"

At the time I thought he was referring to Fairy Tail and all our friends, but looking back on it, we were right outside of his house. I think that some part of me understood that he was the only one that could bring me out of my nightmare reminisces.

Besides, how else could I explain my feet carrying me home, but my heart leading me to Natsu?

L7L7L7L7


End file.
